Clothes-rack.



No. 630,!50. Patnted Aug. I, I899. a: F. WHITE.

CLOTHES RACK.

. Application filed Mar. 1, 1399.)

MM) Model.)

2 SheetsSheet l.

. 1 7295 fhlor s.

No. "6.30,!50. Patented Aug. I, I899. -J. F. WHITE. CLOTHES RACK.

(Application filed Mar. 1, 1899 (No Model.)

2 SheetsSheet 2.

Ilficgi'or. B W Anon-gays.

I (I I Units STATES JOHN F. IVHI'IE, OF BLOOMINGTGN, ILLINOIS.

CLOTHES-RACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 630,150, datedAugust-1, 1899.

Application fil d March 1, 1899. Serial No. 707,302. (Nomodel-l To all,whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN F. WHITE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bloomington, in the county of McLean and State of Illinois,have invented a new and useful Clothes- Rack,of which the followingis aspecification.

Thisinvention relates to clothes-racks; and the object is to provide asimple and efficient device of this character which is so constructed asto receive a very large quantity of clothes and upon which starchedclothing can be spread and dried without danger of crumpling, and thedevice is also foldable, it being of such a nature that when not in useit can be easily and quickly folded and placed out of the way, and whenin such condition it occupies a very small space, although when unfoldedit is adapted to sustain considerable weight without possibility of anyof the joints flexing.

The rack constituting the present application comprises a horizontalportion consisting of two side sections, each including a pair ofjointed bars, a series of legs or standards located at the corners ofsaid horizontal portion and disposed at right angles thereto, and eachleg or standard consisting of a pair of jointed bars and four bracesdisposed in pairs at opposite sides of and connected, respectively, withsaid horizontal portion and vertical legs, the respective pairs ofbraces being jointed at a point above said horizontal portion anddiverging from said point and extending across and connected to thehorizontal portion and to thelegs, and the lower ends of said bracesbeing located at a point above the lower extremities of said legs andconnected with the latter by auxiliary braces, and in conjunction withthese parts I provide cross-bars, which are disposed between the braces,the horizontal portion, and the legs, and as a means for obtainingsimplicity in the structure I prefer to utilize each of these cross-barsas a pivot for connecting certain of the elements of the structure, andso that the latter may occupy a minimum amount of space the rods or barsconstituting the braces, horizontal portion, and legs are disposed intwo alined sets at opposite sides of the rack.

IVith these ends in view the invention consists in the novel combinationof elements and in the construction and arrangement of parts, which willbe hereinafter fully described and claimed.

To enable others to understand the invention, I have illustrated thepreferred embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, and in which Figure lis a perspective viewof a clothesrack constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 isa similar view of said rack folded. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing therack open. Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing the rack closed or folded.Fig. 5 is a detail viewupon an enlarged scale, showing the pivotalconnection betweentwo of the bars or rods of one of the elements.

Like characters denote like and corresponding parts in each of theseveral figures of the drawings.

My clothes-rack consists of the horizontal portion H, the vertical legsor standards V, V, V and V and the diagonal braces 13, B, B and B whichare disposed in pairs at opposite sides of the rack, as indicatedclearly in Fig. 1, and are joined at the top at .a point somewhat abovethe horizontal por .tion H by the connecting-bar 2, extending entirelyacross the rack and constituting a pivot for each pair, the ends of theconnecting-bar being reduced, as at 2, and fitting withinsuitably-formed journal-openings in the ends of the braces. Said bracesmeet at a point above the horizontal portion and diverge downwardtherefrom, extending across the opposite side sections h and h of saidhorizontal section and across the legs or uprights V, V, V, and V andstop at a point above the lower extremities of the legs.

Each of the side sections h and h of the horizontal portion II consistsof a pair of rods jointed at their inner ends by the connecting-bar 3 toeach other and at their opposite ends to the vertical legs or uprightsV, V, V

- and V by the horizontal bars 3.

Each of the braces aforementioned consists Upon an inspection of thedrawings it will i be seen that each of the portions of the rack whenthe latter is in its working position constitutes a'toggle the centersof which are in line, by reason of which the structure is renderedstrong and not liable to fiexure at any of the joints when sustaining alarge weight, and it will be obvious that the connecting-bars not onlyserve to join the several rods, but constitute convenient devices uponwhich clothing can be hung.

As a means for holding the legs or standards in an upright position thelower ends of the braces B, B,- B and B are connected with the lowerrods of the legs by auxiliary braces, as 8, jointed thereto by theconnecting-bars 9, andthe upper ends of the braces 8 are connected tothe lower ends of the main braces by connecting-bars 10; As will beunderstood, each of the connecting-bars constitutes a pivot forconnecting two elements at each end thereof, and the extremities of theseveral connecting-bars are reduced, as at 12, thereby producingshoulders, as at 13, which fit against the structure when the reducedportions are fitted in openings in the rods, thereby maintaining theproper relation of the parts.

To fold the device, the topmost bar 2 is grasped and the legs V and Vand V and V swung outward, thereby breaking the joints and permittingthe several rods to be readily folded upon one another, and the rods atopposite sides of the rack will be located respectively in two differentplanes or in alternating' arrangement, as indicated in Fig. 2,wherebywhen said rack is folded it will occupy but a minimum amount of space.

Changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details ofconstruction within the scope of the appended claims may be res0rt ed towithout departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantagesof this iu vention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is- 1. The combinationof a horizontal portion consistingot' sections provided with jointedbars, legs located at the corners of the horizontal portion and composedof jointed bars, braces disposed at opposite sides of and connected withthe horizontal portion and with the legs and jointed at a point abovethe said horizontal portion and diverging downwardly, supplementalbraces connecting the said braces with the legs, and cross-bars betweenthe braces and legs and forming pivots for the same, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination with a horizontal por= tion consisting of sidesections each comprising jointed bars, of legs or standards located atthe corners of said horizontal portion and each leg or standardconsisting of jointed bars, braces located at opposite sides of andconnected respectively with said horizontal portion and vertical legsand jointed at a point above said horizontal portion and divergingtherefrom and extending across and jointed to the legs, the ends of saidbraces being located at a point above the lower extremities of the legs,a brace connection for the ends of the said braces and cross-barsbetween the braces and the legs, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

. JOHN F. \Vl-IITE.

WVitnesses:

JAMES W. TAVENNER, A. M. DUFF.

